FROM THE PODIUM
long lunch I had with a recent Gary Gertzog, the general law school grad, named counsel of NFL Properties, was Joseph, from a Midwestern formerly a trademark lawyer law school. Joseph was in the at a New York law firm. Portland area for militaryI myself am a licensing reserves training before being attorney by training. I used to deployed to Afghanistan. He license NBA team trademarks; looked me up, and I knew now I license publicity rights; that this was a guy I was tomorrow I could get a job at going to make time to see: he Disney licensing Mickey Mouse had me at the word deployed. and Goofy. I’m a licensing I first tried to get him to transactional attorney. focus on his job at hand, The list goes on and on. which was slightly more The point is this: Sports important than sports law organizations don’t need jobs: being a platoon leader lawyers who can cite in a combat zone. Then I Moneyball chapter and A quilt given as a gift to Gary Way by Margaret Murphy, L’13, talked through with him what verse, or know a sport inside former Marquette–Nike extern. I have outlined for you all: and out, or have encyclopedic Don’t seek to be a sports lawyer. Simply aspire to be knowledge of every player in a league, or even have a good lawyer, doing things of relevance to a sports a passion for sports. organization, and trust that a prospective sports They already have people like that. They’re called industry employer will recognize from your résumé general managers, coaches, agents, and fans. how your conventional practice experience can What employers in the sports sector need are translate into its world. good lawyers who can do the work that is required Joseph clearly got it. He wrote, “I will take the best of these organizations: licensing of trademarks, labor job I can find and strive to be the best lawyer I can law advice, antitrust counseling, litigation, real estate be.” And he maintained the conviction that he would financing, commercial transactions, etc. make it into sports—and the hope that our paths will So my advice to you is summarized in the thankcross sometime down the road. you email that you’ll find on the back of your I hope that that’s your takeaway, also. Thank you. program. I received it a few months ago following a
Joseph D. Kearney
Remarks at Memorial Ceremony for Judge John L. Coffey The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit convened in Ray and Kay Eckstein Hall, the home of Marquette Law School, on April 17, 2013. The court’s session included a ceremony remembering the late Judge John “Jack” L. Coffey, L’48. Chief Judge Frank H. Easterbrook presided at the memorial session and was joined by eight of his Seventh Circuit colleagues and more than 200 guests. These are the remarks of Dean Joseph D. Kearney, who was among the speakers.
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hank you, Chief Judge Easterbrook, and May It Please the Court. Marquette Law School looks a little different since Your Honor stood in a field, on this spot, shovel in hand, almost five years ago, helping us break ground for this building. Hopefully,
Eckstein Hall does not look terribly different from three years ago, when Judge Diane Sykes helped us dedicate the building, let alone two weeks ago when she was here for our Jenkins Honors Moot Court Competition, so named after the late James Jenkins who served as Marquette Lawyer
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